Regalado Cuellar v. United States

Regalado Cuellar was arrested after a search of the car he was driving through Texas toward Mexico revealed nearly $81,000 bundled in plastic bags and covered with animal hair in a secret compartment under the rear floorboard. Regalado Cuellar was charged with, and convicted of, attempting to transport "funds from a place in the United States to... a place outside the United States... knowing that the... funds... represent the proceeds of... unlawful activity and... that such transportation... is designed... to conceal or disguise the nature, the location, the source, the ownership, or the control of the proceeds of " the money, in violation of the federal money laundering statute, 18 U. S. C. §1956(a)(2)(B)(i). Affirming, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected as inconsistent with the statutory text petitioner's argument that the Government must prove that he attempted to create the appearance of legitimate wealth, but held that his extensive efforts to prevent the funds' detection during transportation showed that he sought to conceal or disguise their nature, location, source, ownership, or control.

The Supreme Court issued an opinion on June 2, 2008.^[1]